How a High-End Brand Uses Cinemagraphs and Storytelling

Instead of being fashionably late, why not lead the pack?

This sentiment rings true in luxury fashion brand Stuart Weitzman’s latest campaign, which pairs cinemagraphs and sequential storytelling with new advertising solutions on Facebook and Instagram. The end result offers an interesting look at how a major brand is using social media to target their customers.

While cinemagraphs aren’t exactly new, they are exciting to advertisers because of their format: a GIF/video hybrid where one element of the image plays in a never-ending loop, resulting in constant motion. The unexpected motion is equal parts creative and eye-catching, allowing a brand to shine a spotlight on a key feature or element, such as the fringe on Stuart Weitzman’s new Fringetimes Bootie.

In this two-week campaign, the goal is to raise awareness for the company’s key spring styles with women ages 22–40 in North America. The campaign will also extend the company’s hashtag #inourshoes with a series of branded and influencer-generated content featuring Stuart Weitzman shoes.

Designed by visual artists and original creators of the cinemagraph, Jamie Beck and Kevin Burg of Ann Street Studio, the campaign images fit with Stuart Weitzman’s refined luxury aesthetic, while incorporating a few clever touches throughout. For example, in one cinemagraph, the image of founder and designer Stuart Weitzman can be seen flickering in a television set.

According to Susan Duffy, Chief Marketing Officer of Stuart Weitzman, “Cinemagraphs allow us to share mesmerizing moments that extend the visual vocabulary of the brand . We are very excited to bring life to this innovative Instagram campaign, which will enable us to connect with new consumers on an intimate and aspirational level. The opportunities for engagement and organic reach are limitless.”

While the campaign will live on Instagram, Stuart Weitzman is also testing Facebook’s new reach capabilities to retarget fans who engage with the brand on both channels. For example, a fan who saw a cinemagraph on Instagram and engaged with it would then see a different but related ad on Facebook, shaping a sequential story that ideally would ultimately influence purchase decisions.

The company will also employ other advertising tactics, including custom audiences, interest targeting, website retargeting, plus a Facebook reach and frequency ad to target fans who may not have seen the original cinemagraphs on Instagram.

Although this campaign isn’t exactly the first of its kind—Mercedes-Benz admitted to a similar test last year—it speaks volumes to how brands are approaching the customer experience across multiple social media channels. Companies know that they need to offer a seamless, personalized experience to their customers, and the connectedness of Facebook and Instagram offers a tempting prospect to strategically target stories and content that resonate.

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